Since 2005, the Chinese conglomerate Qianjiang has owned the historic Italian motorcycle brand Benelli. Although some development and design work for Benelli is still done at the company's Italian headquarters in Pesaro, it is commonly known that only a few select models are given this honor. For the rest of Benelli's bikes, however, like the newly unveiled Tornado 402, they're developed and manufacturer in Qianjiang's facility in China.
Benelli's Tornado moniker has traditionally been linked with sporty models at Benelli. The new Tornado 402 is, as predicted, a fully faired motorbike with clip-on handlebars. It is worth mentioning, however, that the 400cc engine size of this sportbike is relevant to the fact that it will be sold largely in countries where 400cc motorbikes are already regarded premium options, or in places with licensing limitations for bikes with larger engines. Having said that, anticipate this bike to be available in Asia as well as some parts of Europe.
It would have been logical for Benelli to adopt an existing 400cc twin engine from Qianjiang or QJ Motor since they hadn't used one before. The Tornado 402 variant, on the other hand, looks to have a freshly built engine. The engine produces 48 horsepower at 10,000 rpm, topping the European category A2 power restriction. The most powerful 400 series QJ twin engine currently available is 41.5 horsepower at 9,000 rpm. It's unclear whether this new two-cylinder engine, like Benelli's 500cc versions, is a co-rotating parallel twin with a zero-degree crankshaft.
The Tornado 402's chassis boasts an exceptional feature, an aluminum single-sided swingarm with a lower beam, which perfectly highlights the polished spoke design of the aluminum rear wheel. On the front end, a non-adjustable upside-down telescopic fork is mounted on a tubular steel frame, and the adjustable shock absorber is supplied by Marzocchi. The braking system is provided by Nissin and consists of two 300-millimeter discs at the front and a 250-millimeter disc at the rear, along with ABS as standard.
A notable technological component of the new Benelli Tornado 402 is a built-in dash cam. This dash cam is built into the windshield assembly and records traffic conditions. The footage can be recorded to a smartphone using an app and is saved automatically. This function is important not only for documenting enjoyable rides, but also for safety and security when riding on the road.
The availability of the Benelli Tornado 402 in the U.S. or Europe is still unknown, but it will be released in China first, with deliveries expected to commence in the spring of 2023. The price will be 31,800 yuan, which is equivalent to approximately $4,630 USD as of March 2023.
